Saints' Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith await word from court

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith met Monday with NFL lawyers and a federal magistrate in a settlement conference for lawsuits spawned by the players' suspensions following the league's bounty investigation.
Vilma and his attorneys emerged from ...

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith met Monday with NFL lawyers and a federal magistrate in a settlement conference for lawsuits spawned by the players' suspensions following the league's bounty investigation.
Vilma and his attorneys emerged from the three-hour-long conference with U.S. Magistrate Daniel Knowles III without commenting on whether progress was made toward resolution of the case. The meeting was closed to the public.

Peter Ginsberg, one of Vilma's attorneys, said only that the group "went through the settlement process" and that he expects "things will move along."

Vilma declined to comment on the talks, but said, "I want the team to do well, and I want to be part of the team."
The star linebacker and Saints coach Sean Payton have been suspended for the 2012 season for their alleged roles in a bounty program the NFL says targeted opposition players for three seasons. Smith is suspended for four games.
NFL attorneys and lawyers for Smith also declined comment.

Vilma's lawsuit claims NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell failed to make a timely appeal ruling regarding his season-long suspension.
His suit also asks for a temporary restraining order to allow Vilma to rejoin the team. U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan in New Orleans is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on that request.

Vilma filed a separate suit against Goodell for alleged defamation of character. The NFL Players Association sued the NFL on behalf of Smith and two other suspended players, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove.
The Saints open training camp on Tuesday.

Consumers of the NFL local product, the Saints, have been defrauded by the NFL Commissioner's office from watching the team from having a complete, legitimate chance of competition.

That team (product) and its complete components (i.e. Coach Payton, Jon Vilma, etc) or what was sold...

And if any of that team (product ) must be taken away, consumers are owed more than some Wizard of Oz authoritative "what we discovered behind the emerald curtain but is too much for your munchkin eyes to handle" explanation that denies what was sold...

I am hanging this all on DeMaurice Smith. He is the top of the tree in regards to the CBA, and all he focused on was money... There should have been terms covering discovery of evidence, different appellate, and a clear punishment table for various accountable acts.

If he didn't see this coming then that is his problem, the guy received a million dollar bonus for getting this CBA.